In the second incident this month in which a jailed criminal defendant injured himself in a Jefferson Parish courtroom, a New Orleans man on trial today for armed robbery slit his throat with a razor, causing what authorities described as a superficial wound and leading a judge to declare a mistrial.

Paul Purpura/The Times-PicayuneTerence Pollard is carried away after cutting his neck with a razor during his trial at the 24th Judicial District Court in Gretna.

Terence Pollard, 29, cut himself with a blade while the first witness in his armed robbery trial was testifying before a jury, witnesses said. His attorney notified Judge Ray Steib of the 24th Judicial District Court, who shut down the trial.

Witnesses said Pollard appeared to use a blade removed from a disposable razor.

Pollard appeared alert as he was placed into a Gretna ambulance outside the courthouse.

On Feb. 3, Donald Colton, 56, of New Orleans, cut his throat with a metal object he claimed was a blade. Colton was chained to two other jailed inmates sitting in a court's jury box after proceedings were done for the day when he injured himself. He since has been booked with self mutilation.